John, of Austria, 1547-1578; Spain -- History -- Philip II, 1556-1598
At dusk this lady went out in her litter to the house of the Princess de
Évoli, her old squire Juan Galarza riding on a mule. In two hours she
returned, but not alone, as she went, for she carried, carefully hidden
in her shawl, a little girl, born unexpectedly and prematurely two days
before, and already baptized by the name of Ana.
A few days later Doña Magdalena asked the King's permission to go and
visit her estates, Luis Quijada not being able to do so on account of
his duties with D. John and Prince Carlos. The King readily granted
this, and Doña Magdalena left for Villagarcia, taking the baby with the
greatest secrecy. D. John accompanied her on the first stage, and left
her at the post-house; he asked her benediction as a mother, and she
made him repeat two things he had promised, and which he religiously
performed. Not to see Doña Maria de Mendoza again, and retire, as soon
as he could without drawing attention, to the monastery of Abrojo, to
meditate for a few days on the eternal truths away from the atmosphere
of the Court.
As to Doña Maria de Mendoza, she vanished into the mist, crying like
Andromache, and never saw D. John of Austria again. She stayed for a
long time at the Princess de Évoli's house at Pastrana, and, on the
score of delicate health, retired little by little from the Court.
Without attracting anyone's attention, she succeeded in so effacing her
memory, that to-day no one knows to which branch of the house of Mendoza
she belonged, or where she lived after the sad episode which ruined her
life. It is probable that she went to some convent to weep over that
which was certainly her first false step, and very likely her only
sin.[8]
Footnote 8:
Doña Magdalena de Ulloa brought up the child with the greatest care
and secrecy until Doña Ana was seven years old, when she placed her in
the convent of Augustins at Madrigal, with the intention that she
should become a nun, as, in fact, she did, no one suspecting the name
and rank of her ancestors. After D. John's death, in order that the
King might help and protect her, Alexander Farnese divulged the fact
of her existence. Philip granted her the surname of Austria and to be
addressed as Excellency, but her name and rank were not known until
the tragic event occurred to which we alluded in the text, which was
as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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